Revisiting the Developmental Stage and Age‐at‐Death of the “Mrs. Ples” (Sts 5) and Sts 14 Specimens from Sterkfontein (South Africa): Do They Belong to the Same Individual?

Bonmatí, Alejandro; Arsuaga, Juan Luís; Lorenzo, Carlos

doi:10.1002/ar.20795

Cited by 16 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 77 publications

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“…Young adult Robinson (1972), (Bonmatí et al, 2008 (Arensburg et al, 1985) Israel 60 Ka (Valladas et al, 1987) H. neanderthalensis Kebara 2…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sacral Orientation in Hominin Evolution

Been¹,

Pessah²,

Peleg³

et al. 2013

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Sagittal sacral orientation within the pelvic girdle of humans is a key component of posture and obstetrics. On the one hand, sacral orientation has direct influence on the lumbar curvature; while on the other hand, it has an impact on the dorsoventral dimension of the birth canal. In this study, we aim to explore the evolution of sacral orientation in the sagittal plane and its relationship with the lumbar curvature in hominins. To do this, we measured sacral orientation using the pelvic incidence (PI) angle of the pelves of 53 modern humans, 19 nonhuman hominoids, and 4 fossil hominins. Our results show that the PIs of modern and fossil H. sapiens are the highest while the PI of nonhuman hominoids is the lowest (a nearly parallel sacrum in relation to the hip bone). Australopithecines PI is higher than that of nonhuman hominoids, but lower than that of modern humans. The PI of Homo heidelbergensis and H. neanderthalensis (Neandertal lineage hominins) is the lowest among hominins. We also found a strong correlation between lumbar lordosis and PI in nonhuman hominoids and hominins, indicating that PI angle is a good predictor of the lumbar lordosis when only the pelvis is preserved. We conclude that sacral orientation changed during the course of human evolution. When Neandertal lineage hominins are ignored, the results indicate a fairly simple path of evolution from nonhuman hominoid-like to human-like sacral orientation with two stages of the development. Neandertal lineage hominins show a reversal of this trend.

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“…Young adult Robinson (1972), (Bonmatí et al, 2008 (Arensburg et al, 1985) Israel 60 Ka (Valladas et al, 1987) H. neanderthalensis Kebara 2…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sacral Orientation in Hominin Evolution

Been¹,

Pessah²,

Peleg³

et al. 2013

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“…Despite the edentulous maxilla and a break in the cranium associated with a dynamite explosion at the time of discovery, Sts 5 is an exceptionally preserved specimen relative to most other Plio-Pleistocene hominid skulls (38–40). It is worth nothing here that while the identification of Sts 5 as a female has been and is still the subject of ongoing debate (41–43), the cranial features of the Sts 5 specimen suggest that it was certainly not a subadult individual; therefore, it is well within the age-range of this study sample (44, 45). The Sts 52 mandible was reconstructed using state-of-the-art digital methods from research quality casts of the original specimen.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 84%

Towards the restoration of ancient hominid craniofacial anatomy: Chimpanzee morphology reveals covariation between craniometrics and facial soft tissue thickness

Campbell

Vinas

Henneberg

2021

Preprint

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In modern humans, facial soft tissue thicknesses have been shown to covary with craniometric dimensions. However, to date it has not been confirmed whether these relationships are shared with non-human apes. In this study, we analyze these relationships in chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) with the aim of producing regression models for approximating facial soft tissue thicknesses in Plio-Pleistocene hominid individuals. Using CT scans of 19 subjects, 637 soft tissue, and 349 craniometric measurements, statistically significant multiple regression models were established for 26 points on the face and head. Examination of regression model validity resulted in minimal differences between observed and predicted soft tissue thickness values. Assessment of interspecies compatibility using a bonobo (Pan paniscus) and modern human (Homo sapiens) subject resulted in minimal differences for the bonobo but large differences for the modern human. These results clearly show that (1) soft tissue thicknesses covary with craniometric dimensions in P. troglodytes, (2) confirms that such covariation is uniformly present in both extant Homo and Pan species, and (3) suggests that chimp-derived regression models have interspecies compatibility with hominids who have similar craniometric dimensions to P. troglodytes. As the craniometric dimensions of early hominids, such as South African australopithecines, are more similar to P. troglodytes than those of H. sapiens, chimpanzee-derived regression models may be used for approximating their craniofacial anatomy. It is hoped that the results of the present study and the reference dataset for facial soft tissue thicknesses of chimpanzees it provides will encourage further research into this topic.

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“…The great ape sample included P. paniscus ( n = 8), P. troglodytes ( n = 22) , G. beringei ( n = 10), G. gorilla ( n = 23), P. abelii ( n = 7), and P. pygmaeus ( n = 24) (Table 2 ). Since Sts 14 died prior to fusion of the lateral epiphyseal plate and of the ring apophysis of the superior surface of the sacral body 24 , 53 , 54 , we also included six male and five female juvenile modern humans (Central Europeans, n = 10, Khoe-Sān, n = 1) with a developmental age similar to that of Sts 14 (16–17 years). Specimens with damaged or eroded surface or with patent asymmetry were excluded, as well as individuals with lumbosacral transitional vertebrae.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sacrum morphology supports taxonomic heterogeneity of “Australopithecus africanus” at Sterkfontein Member 4

et al. 2021

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The presence of multiple Australopithecus species at Sterkfontein Member 4, South Africa (2.07–2.61 Ma), is highly contentious, and quantitative assessments of craniodental and postcranial variability remain inconclusive. Using geometric morphometrics, we compared the sacrum of the small-bodied, presumed female subadult Australopithecus africanus skeleton Sts 14 to the large, alleged male adult StW 431 against a geographically diverse sample of modern humans, and two species of Pan, Gorilla, and Pongo. The probabilities of sampling morphologies as distinct as Sts 14 and StW 431 from a single species ranged from 1.3 to 2.5% for the human sample, and from 0.0 to 4.5% for the great apes, depending on the species and the analysis. Sexual dimorphism and developmental or geologic age could not adequately explain the differences between StW 431 and Sts 14, suggesting that they are unlikely to be conspecific. This supports earlier claims of taxonomic heterogeneity at Sterkfontein Member 4.

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Revisiting the Developmental Stage and Age‐at‐Death of the “Mrs. Ples” (Sts 5) and Sts 14 Specimens from Sterkfontein (South Africa): Do They Belong to the Same Individual?

Cited by 16 publications

References 77 publications

Sacral Orientation in Hominin Evolution

Sacral Orientation in Hominin Evolution

Towards the restoration of ancient hominid craniofacial anatomy: Chimpanzee morphology reveals covariation between craniometrics and facial soft tissue thickness

Sacrum morphology supports taxonomic heterogeneity of “Australopithecus africanus” at Sterkfontein Member 4

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